Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 4:00 am Post subject: Help Please
Firstly i must apologise you have probably had loads of questions like this.
I am not a new kakariki owner i have had Ziggy for approx 10 months, he is a handsome wee thing, full of character. He's especially happy now as we have bought a wee hen kakariki and called her Vegas.
My problem is an ongoing thing, when we got Ziggy his tail was a wee bit ragged, and eventually the feathers on his tail all fell out (This hasn't stopped his exploring) this was 10 months ago.
The tail has never grown back i have been to the vet who confirmed there was no mites or lice (done a treatment anyway).
I have been making sure that his diet is good and he enjoys, fruit, bones, egg and seed diet.
Recently i read that fresh herbs such as basil, mint and rosemary are good for the feathers therefore i bought the plants and while Zigggy and Vegas are loving this addition his tail feathers still haaven't grown back.
Don't get me wrong it has in no way affected him and he is generally a very happy wee bird but without his tail he looks like a quail any advice would be very much appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Nicola
P.S i will put some photos up but having a bit of bother i think all of my Ziggy pics are too big.
Some birds get very ragged tail feathers from the way they land on the wire then slide down a little....some do it some dont.
Birds do not loose all their feathers at once, but in pairs, that way their flight stays balanced.
For all tail feather to fall out at the same time is very strange, and not grow back, stranger, unless damage has been done to the folicules.
Are their any signs of new feathers devaloping in the tail folicules?
Is the bird currently in moulkt? _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
A wee update.....ziggy's tail feather have grown back and they are beautiful....i just continued with the herbs and also added olive oil and a multivitamin to their food..he's definately enjoying having them back.
I did wonder though and i'm not sure what your thoughts are on this but could he have had a surge of hormones upon the arrival of his girlfriend and the surge has triggered the regrowth?
hmmm.......i think you may have had the same reaction as my husband to that question.....his face was a picture...apologies sometimes i ask stupid questions then later think..that was a stupid question.
I have just been puzzled by the loss of ziggy's feaathers and the sudden regrowth some 10-11 months later.
There are no such "stupid questions" in this forum
Some other times you will be wondering about something that may sound stupid, and it's perfectly logical. When you are starting, and even after you have spend some time keeping birds, you always get surprises once in a while.
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